18 March 2014

Freescale Semiconductor is introducing its ARM-based Kinetis series of microcontrollers (MCUs) into the automotive market. The new Kinetis EA series of MCUs, which integrates the broadly adopted ARM Cortex architecture, is expected to be especially well accepted in China, where time-to-market is paramount and developer familiarity with the ARM architecture is strong.

Target applications for the Kinetis EA series MCUs include seat, sunroof and fuel/water pump systems; general body electronics such as body control, park assist, CAN/LIN nodes, interior lighting; and engine control systems for two-wheel powertrain.

The new Kinetis EA series is designed to speed and to simplify the development process for body electronics applications. With Kinetis EA series MCUs, tier-one suppliers can develop initial prototypes in as little as 24 hours, and potentially reduce research and development time by two weeks or more, according to Freescale.

Pin-compatibility within the Kinetis EA MCU series for increased hardware and software reuse, saving significant development resources, cost and time;

Automotive-grade 32-bit MCUs, built on the ARM Cortex-M0+ core running at 48 MHz, certified to AEC-Q100 grade1 meeting the harsh requirements for temperatures ranging from -40°C to 125°C, along with enhanced ESD/EMC performance;

Scalable solutions including memory up to 128KB of Flash, package options up to 80LQFP (71 GPIO), and enabling designs that are easily scaled to suit diverse automotive application needs;

Capable of driving high-current motors/components with a voltage range from 2.7V to 5.5V. 5V analog/sensor components which are easily connected to system-level designs;

Advanced automotive connectivity through a rich peripheral set including CAN, LIN(SCI), SPI, and IIC;